Why read Missing Microbes?

Book cover of Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues

Book description

“In Missing Microbes, Martin Blaser sounds [an] alarm. He patiently and thoroughly builds a compelling case that the threat of antibiotic overuse goes far beyond resistant infections.”―Nature

Renowned microbiologist Dr. Martin J. Blaser invites us into the wilds of the human microbiome, where for hundreds of thousands of years bacterial…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Missing Microbes as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Anne Biklé

Author

Blaser's was among the initial books I read on the human microbiome and it has remained a favorite. You receive the gift of another person's deep knowledge that unveils a new and significant perspective.

Blaser uses stories of his research and experiences to share the full ramifications—good and bad—of modern medicine with a focus on antibiotics. Against this backdrop he unpacks how altering the human microbiome, especially in childhood, is a likely factor contributing to chronic diseases later in life, from asthma and allergies to gut and metabolic dysfunctions. It's sobering. But, Blaser also lays out some key immediate actions…

From Anne's list on The best books about microbiomes, gut health, food, and farming.